Ignition system



V. A. FYNN.

I GNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. '1, 191B.

1 2 5 00 1 Patented Aug. 8, 1922.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Fig'.l.-

WITNESS. LN V EJV' TOR.

I ATTORNEY.

V. A. FYNN.

IGNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED-MAR. 7, 1918.

1 ,42 5 O0 1 I r Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2 Flg'.

V IN VE'JV' TOR.

WIm Ess.

ATTORNEY.

PATENT OFFICE.

VALERE A. FYNN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 WAGNER ELECTRIC MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

' IGNITION SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern .Be it known that I, VALiiRE Ar FYNN, a subject of the Kingof England,residing at the city of St.Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Ignition System, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an ignition system and more particularly to a battery ignition system operated in conjunction with a generator for charging said battery and operating in parallel with same.

It is known that battery ignition systems-particularly those in which the ignition circuit is normally closed--have the disadvantage of permitting useless drain on the battery, in case the ignition switch is left closed after the'engine has come to rest and the timer happens to stop in its closed position. In addition to this, it has been found that charging generators, particularly when used in connection with battery ignltion systems installed on self-propelled vehicles, occasionally fail to excite, or pick up as readily as desired. It is the object .of my invention to overcome these defects.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and the ap pended drawings.

In carrying out my invention, I provide anelectromagnetic switch, for the primary ignition circuit, magnetize this switch by means connected permanently across the brushes of the charging dynamo, andalso provide additional magnetizing means for said switch. These additional means are used temporarily, generally during the starting operation, and only for the purpose of closing the switch. The first mentioned means keeps the switch closed during normal operation. p 1

y In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation ofa battery charging and ignitionsystem for automobiles and embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a modification. 2

Referring to Fig, 1,the battery 2 is connected to the starting circuit including the starting switch 34. and thecranking motor r3l. and to the lighting circuits 30', 32, a The Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

, Application filed March 7, 1918. Serial No. 221,065.

charging generator has an armature 3 and a field winding 4. It is of the Sayers type i and is provided with two main brushes, and an exciting brush displaced from the main brushes. The main exciting winding 4 is connected between the exciting brush and one of the main brushes. The generator also carries an auxiliary exciting winding 5 which may be coaxially disposed with 4.

A battery charging switch of usual construction, provided with an'additional contact, is interposed between one terminal of the generator and one terminal of the battery. It comprises a core 15 provided with a shunt exciting winding 8 connected to the main brushes of the generator, and a series magnetizing coil 9 adapted to be connected between one generator brush and one pole ofthe battery, when the battery switch. is closed. The movable spring controlled element 10 of this switch is pivoted at 21 and carries two contacts 12 and 13 adapted to cooperate with the two stationary contacts 11 and 14. When this battery switch is under the control of its spring, contact 12 rests on contact 11. When said switch is under the control of its core 15, then contacts 11 and 12are separatedand contacts 13 and 14 are in touch.

The spark coil 6 may be of the usual construction. One end of its high tension winding is shown grounded, while the other is connected to a distributer 33. The low tension winding of said coil is included in the primary ignition circuit whch comprises thetimer 7, of ordinary construction, the usual* hand-operated ignition switch 24 and the electromagnetic ignition switch 16, 23. The last mentioned switch comprises a core 16, provided with a magnetizing coil 18, per- I manent ly connected to the main brushes of the charging generator and a magnetizing coil 17, connected at oneend to the auxiliary winding 5 of the generator and at the other to the spring controlled switch 28,

through the electromagnet "29. .The movable spring controlled element 23 of the electromagnetic switch is pivoted at 22 and carries a contact 20 adapted to cooperate with the stationary contact 19. s

In its normal position, the switch 28 rests on the contact 26 and completes the circuit between the battery 2,- the auxiliary winding 5 of the generator and the magnetizing coil of the electromagnetic switch, through the resistance 27 and the hand-operated ignition switch 24:. This switch 28 may, however, be moved to contact 25, in which case the circuit through the coils 5 and 17 will be completed through the stationary contact 11, the movable contact 12 and the spring controlled element 10 of the battery switch, as long as said switch is under the control of its spring, which is hereinafter referred to as its open position. The electromagnet 29 is so proportioned that it will hold switch 28 on point as long as the battery switch remains open.

The operation of the battery switch is well understood. As soon as the speed of the in ternal combustion engine reaches a certain value, the voltage generated at the terminals of the charging dynamo, will be sutlicient to produce in the core 15, by means of the coil 8, a magnetization capable of overcoming the spring controlling the armature it), with the result that this armature will be attracted and connection established between the contacts 13 and 14., while that between con tacts lland 12 will be broken. The connections to the coils 8 and 9 are so made hat the magnetization they produce are of the same direction as long as the generator voltage in excess of the battery voltage and current flows from the generator to the bat tery. lVhen the generator voltage ialls below that of the battery, as it will for instance do, when the engine speed diminishes below a certain value, then the battery will send a current into the generator, the magnetization produced by coil 9 will oppose that produced by coil 8 and the battery switch will. open as soon as the difference between these two magnetizations has reached a suiiieiently small value. The operation of the timer and of the distribute]: is well understoml and need not be particularly described. The distributer, the cam of the timer, and'the generator. armature, are all driven from the engine.

In operating the embodiment 01' this in vention illustrated in nig. 1., it is necessary to first close the hand-operated ignition switch 24:. This will complete the circuit between the battery 2, the auxiliary exciting winding 5 on the generator, and the netizing coil 17 on the ignition switch, through the holding electromagnet 29, switch 28, the contact 26 and the resistance 2?. The resistance of this circuit and the number of turns on the coils 17 and 18 are so chosen that, with switch 28 on contact 26, the magnetization produced by coil 17 will not be sufiieient to close or hold the electromagnetic switch, but the magnetization produced by the auxiliary exciting winding 5 will be ample to insure that the generatorwill pick up at the right speed. This auxiliary excitation taken from a source independent of the generator will alsoraise the terminal "voltage of that machine when it is disconnected from the battery to values exceeding those which said voltage would. have under the same conditions, but without this auxiliary excitation. il ith the engine at rest, the battery switch will of course be open so that contacts l2; and 14: will be separated and contacts 11 and 12 will be in touch. The en gine can now be started in any desired manner. It may, for instance, be set in motion by means of a cranking motor Bl, as is now usual. As soon as the circuit of the motor is closed, switch 28 should be moved from point 26 to point thus cutting the resistance 27 out of circuit and raising the current in the coil 1? to an extent sull'icient to close the electromagnetic switch. As soon as the engine has fired. the starting switch 34 may be opened. When the engine runs fast enough to bring the charging generator voltage to a value near that of the battery E. M. F. the battery switch will close, thus interrupting the circuit of the coils 5 and 17 at the points ll and i2, and demagnetizing the eiectromagnet 29, which will yield switch 28 to "the control of its spring. This switch will be carried back to point 26, but the electromagnetic switch will not open because the voltage oi the generator is now amply suiticient to hold it closed by means of the magnetization produced by coil 18. Even if the battery switch is set to close a speed exceedi. g the lowest operative speed of the engine, yet the electromagnetic switch will not open until the engine speed has fallen below such speed, For coil 18 is so proportioned as to ,in'oduce sullicient magnetization to hold this switch closed, with a generator uivlliage well below the battery voltage.

The la ct that the auxiliary exciting wind-- ing 5 ol. the char 'ing generator is closed through the ro nice 2? when the engine operates under its own power, also afi'ec's the output curve oil? said generator and 21' may be used, or not as desired. Omitting this resistance 27 in other words, disconiiecting point 26 .lTUlll the negative pole of? the lnittery-has the advantage Oi eliminatthe useless small drain on the battery which would occu if switch were left r the eng. 1e nas come to re :0 reduce the generator vol -whensveithe latter lisconnected i battery. i gine does come to rest,

with the switc on point 26.. and whetl'icr resistance 27 is used or not. the magnetization produced by thecoil l8 necessarily falls to zero and the ignition circuit is opened. at the electromagnetic switch, thus positively preventing a discharge of the battery through the primary of the spark coil, in case the operator has forgotten to open the hand ignition witch 24.

If it is desired to interrupt the ignition while the engine is running, it is only neoes sary to open the hand switch 24. In order to reinstate ignition under the same conditions, it is only necessary to close said switch, for as long as the engine revolves, coil 18will keep the electromagnetic switch closed. Should the generator fail, then it will be necessary to provisionally connect the point 26 with the negative pole of the battery. If a resistance 27 is used, then this connection must be carried out by short-circuiting said resistance.

The modification shown in Fig. 2 difl'ers from the arrangement illustrated in Fig.1 in that the stationary contact 11, the connection between it and the contact 25, the auxiliary contact 12 on the battery switch, and the holding electromagnet 29 are omitted, while point 25 is connected to the negative pole of the battery 2 through the hand switch 2 In this figure, the coils 8 and 18 are connected in series instead of in parallel as in Figure 1. The operation of Fig. 2 is quite similar to that of Fig. 1. It is first necessary to close the hand ignition switch 24, then to crank the engine and hold the switch 28 on point 25 during the starting period, releasing same as soon as the engine has fired. I

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a battery charging and ignition sys tem, the combination of a self-excited generator, a battery, an ignition circuit, a controlling switch for said circuit, electromagnetic means permanently in circuit with the generator for holding said switch in closed position, means operated by the battery for closing said switch, and means in circuit with the battery for producing an auxiliary magnetization in the generator to increase the range of generator speeds over which the said electric-magnetic means will hold the controlling switch closed.

2. In a battery charging and ignition system, the combination of a self-excited generator, a battery, an ignition circuit, an electromagnetic controlling switch therefor, said switch comprising two windings, one of said windings being permanently connected in circuit with the generator, means for connecting the other winding in circuit with the battery, and means in circuit with the last mentioned means for producing an auxiliary magnetization in the generator.

3. In a battery charging and ignition system, a generator, a battery, abattery charging switch, an ignition circuit, a switch for controlling said circuit, and means governed by the battery charging switch for closing the ignition controlling switch, said means being operative only when the battery charging switch is in open position.

4. In a battery charging and ignition system, a charging generator provided with means for producing an auxiliary exciting magnetization, a battery, a switch for connecting the generator and battery, and means operable only when the battery switch is in open position to connect the battery to the auxiliary magnetizing means.

5. In a battery charging and ignition system, a charging generator, a battery, an electromagnetically operated switch for connecting and disconnecting the battery from the generator, an ignition circuit, an electromagmeans comprising an'electromagnetic switch I adapted to complete said connection through a contact of. the battery charging switch when said last named switch is open and through a different path when said switch is closed. 4 v

7. In a battery charging and ignition system, the combination of a generator, a battery, a switch for connecting and disconnects the battery and generator, an ignition circuit, a controlling switch therefor, an electromagnet for closing said switch,means for connecting said magnet in circuit with the battery, said means comprising contacts controlled by the battery switch, and a normally open switch, said last named switch being provided with means holding it closed while the battery is in circuit with the electromagnet operating the ignition controlling switch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal.

VALERIE A. FYNN. [n s.] 

